Like most Iowans, this hometown hero gets along with just some common-sense care and can tough it out during harsh Iowa winters.

Buck roses are a wonderful, dependable, beautiful group of roses perfectly suited to Iowa because they were bred in Iowa.

Back in the 1970s, ISU horticulture professor Griffith Buck was trying to breed roses. But Iowa State, understandably focused on things like corn and soybeans, didn’t give him much budget. So Dr. Buck had to breed roses that could do with little spraying, watering, or winter protection. As a result, he created a group of low-maintenance roses right at a time when American gardeners were becoming interested in such things.

‘Carefree Beauty’ is his crowning achievement. It is a large gorgeous rose with tiny pink flowers that bloom from June until frost. It’s so tough, disease-resistant, and reliable that it’s been crossed with many other roses to develop new types. In fact, it’s so showy your neighbors will all ask what it is. It grows 3 to 5 feet high and wide. It has been used as breeding stock in many low-maintenance roses over the decades. Buck roses usually have fun Iowa-related or prairie-themed names to boot, such as ‘Frontier Twirl’ or ‘Hawkeye Belle.’  ‘Distant Drums’ is one of the most prized Buck roses for its gorgeous, subtle coloration.

Buck roses can be a bit of a trick to find in garden centers. And even if you see one, it may not be marketed as such. ‘Carefree Beauty,’ for example, is widely available but is seldom advertised as a Buck Rose. So if you’d like more Buck roses in your garden than just ‘Carefree Beauty,’ you’ll likely need to order them online. For more extensive information on Buck roses, and for a listing of all the many different kinds, click on the ISU site devoted to them. (Apparently, they now appreciate him considerably!)

The best way to learn more about the various Buck roses and how to buy them is simply to Google them. They’re available through a variety of retailers, but some of our favorites are High Country Gardens and Antique Rose Emporium.

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